We all know that it's important to take care of our physical health. We are bombarded with messages about the importance of exercise, eating right, and losing weight. In fact, they appear to be the most sought-after New Year’s resolutions. But what about our mental, emotional, and spiritual health? Just as our bodies need regular care and attention, so do our minds and spirits. This is where self-renewal kicks in. Self-renewal is the process of not only taking care of our physicality but also taking care of our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves. It includes activities like relaxation, recreation, and education. It's important to make time for self-renewal every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. When we take the time to renew ourselves, we are better able to handle stress, relate to others, pursue our goals, and prevent burnout. Categories of Self-Renewal Activities Many different activities can help us renew ourselves. Some examples include:
The key is to find activities that work for you and that you enjoy. Not all of these activities will appeal to everyone, but surely you can find a few that will resonate with you. And don't feel like you have to do all of them at once! Pick one or two to focus on each day or each week. Better yet take one and build it into your month, then break it down into weekly and daily activities. The important thing is to make time for self-renewal regularly. How Self-Renewal Benefits Us Taking time for self-renewal has numerous benefits. When we make self-care a priority, we are better able to manage stress, relate to others, pursue our goals, and prevent burnout. Here are a few specific ways in which self-renewal benefits us which in turn helps keep our spirits light, and at peace. 1. Keep Your Spirit Healthy And Energized One thing to keep in mind is that self-renewal performed regularly based on changes in your life and changes in your needs and desires is key to maintaining a high level of life spiritual contentment, happiness, and well-being. When our lives become dreary and we lose our excitement for living, our spirits begin to die and this can cause real inner turmoil that can affect you in your everyday life. Let’s talk a little about the difference between your spirits and your spirit. Spirits in the above context are used to describe your moods. It is also used in various other contexts, like “liquor is often expressed as spirits” or “your team has great spirit” meaning your team shows great excitement or members work together in a highly coordinated fashion. Your Spirit has another meaning, your most inner self, your soul so to speak. This is a personal and deeply held conviction that you are more than just moods. You are deep down someone who is created for a purpose. Someone who has a ‘wholeness’ and ‘holiness’ about you and you are destined to become the best version of yourself, both for you and in your relations with others. This deeply held conviction keeps you honest, trustworthy, and ethical. It also moves you to be loving, forgiving, and compassionate. 2. Self-Renewal Helps Us Relax When we relax, our bodies can repair themselves and we give our brains a much-needed break from constant stimulation. The following five relaxation techniques will induce a relaxation response within you. • Deep breathing. In this simple technique take long slow and deep breaths from your belly and not your chest. When you breathe disengage your mind from distracting thoughts and sensations. However, if you have breathing difficulties, such as respiratory ailments or heart failure make sure you check with your medical professional before taking on this technique. • Body scan. This exercise combines deep breathing with progressive muscle relaxation. After a few minutes of deep breathing focus on one part of your body or group of muscles to mentally release any physical tension you may have. One way of completing a body scan is to start at the top of your head, relax it, and then move down to your facial features, then your shoulders, and so on down to your toes. • Guided imagery. This technique involves imaging soothing scenes, places, or experiences to help you relax and focus. It is best to find scenes that have significance to you. Guided imagery takes you away from the hustle and bustle of life and improves positivity.
3. Self-Renewal Improves Our Mental Health Taking time for self-care can help improve our mental health by reducing stress levels and promoting positive thinking. As we reduce our stress levels, we are better able to think more clearly and creatively. Additionally, taking time for activities we enjoy can boost our mood and promote positive thinking overall. Here are six tips to boost your mental health.
4. Self-Renewal Strengthens Our Relationships When we make time for self-care, we are better able to show up for the people in our lives–our family members, friends, co-workers, etc. We have more patience and empathy when we've taken care of ourselves first, which leads to healthier relationships overall. Every relationship is unique and we come together for various reasons. Part of developing a healthy relationship is being clear about where you want the relationship to go. Here are some ways to do just that.
5. Self-Renewal Allows Us To Pursue Our Goals When we make time for self-renewal, we open up space in our lives to pursue the things that matter most to us–our goals, dreams, and aspirations. Making self-renewal a priority helps us live more fulfilling, purposeful lives, which feeds us with a sense of goodness. When we achieve our goals, we tap into becoming fully alive. We are on our journey to fulfilling our life's purpose and the more we can self-renew, the closer we get to reaching that point. Working towards your goals gives you structure and direction in your life, and the satisfaction of achieving them increases self-esteem and confidence. Achieving them motivates you to continue to keep going, giving you momentum, which in turn gives you a greater sense of control and purpose in life. This, in turn, can help you to get more in touch with your values and fully engage with others. Achieving your goals also provides you with personal growth opportunities and as such encourages you to improve your understanding of your identity, your capabilities, and your potential. Final Thoughts Self-renewal is essential for maintaining our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. When we make time for self-care, we are better able, to manage stress, relate to others, and pursue our goals. It is important to recognize that taking care of oneself is not a selfish act, but one that is necessary so that we can give to others. Many different activities can help us renew ourselves–the key is finding the ones that work best for us. So, take some time today for yourself–you deserve it! As always, stay safe, keep well, and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard, Richard Fontanie
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Self-renewal is hard work and can lead to creating stress for you. Managing stress though is important for maintaining overall health and well-being. If you are having difficulty managing stress during your renewal process then read on as this article gives you six effective ways along with actions for implementing them. 1. Practice deep breathing. Deep breathing exercises, also known as diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing, can help to reduce stress and anxiety by slowing down your heart rate and calming your nervous system. This type of breathing involves inhaling deeply into your diaphragm, rather than shallowly into your chest. Here is a simple deep breathing exercise you can try:
Deep breathing exercises can be done at any time and can be particularly helpful during moments of stress or anxiety. Incorporating deep breathing exercises into your daily routine can also help to reduce overall stress levels and improve your overall well-being. 2. Exercise Regularly Regular exercise can release endorphins, also known as “feel good” hormones, which can improve your mood and reduce stress. When you exercise, your body also produces other chemicals, such as norepinephrine and cortisol, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Additionally, exercise can improve sleep, increase self-esteem, and provide a sense of accomplishment and control. It is recommended to get at least 30 minutes of moderate/intensity exercise most days of the week. However, even small amounts of physical activity can be beneficial. There are different types of exercises you can choose from:
It is important to find an activity that you enjoy and that fits into your lifestyle. Remember that consistency is key and making exercise a regular part of your routine can help to reduce stress and improve your overall well-being. 3. Prioritize and Plan Tasks Prioritizing and planning tasks can help to reduce stress by allowing you to focus on what is most important and avoid feeling overwhelmed. When you have a lot to do, it can be easy to feel like you're constantly running behind, which can lead to increased stress levels. Here are a few tips for prioritizing and planning tasks:
Remember that perfectionism can be a source of stress and that it's okay to make mistakes or not be able to complete everything on your list. Prioritizing and planning tasks can help you to feel more in control of your time and reduce stress. 4. Set Boundaries Setting boundaries with your time and energy is an important aspect of managing stress. It means being mindful of what you can and cannot take on and being able to say "no" when you need to. This can help protect you from becoming overworked or overextended and can help you to prioritize your well-being. Here are a few tips for setting boundaries:
5. Practice Mindfulness Practicing mindfulness and meditation can be an effective way to reduce stress. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and paying attention to your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Meditation is a technique that can help you achieve mindfulness by focusing your attention on a specific object, thought, or activity. There are many different types of meditation, including:
By practicing mindfulness and meditation regularly, you can improve your ability to manage stress and stay calm in difficult situations. 6. Learn to Say No Saying "no" can be difficult, especially when we are under stress. Stress can cause us to feel pressure to please others and avoid conflict, which can make it hard to assert ourselves and set boundaries. But, learning to say "no" in a respectful way can help reduce stress by allowing us to maintain control over our time and energy, and avoid taking on more than we can handle. When you are under stress, you may be more likely to feel guilty or apologetic when declining a request. However, it's important to remember that you have the right to make your own choices about how you spend your time and energy, and it's okay to prioritize your well-being. One way to practice saying "no" in a respectful way is to use "I" statements, which express your feelings and needs rather than placing blame on the other person. For example, instead of saying "You're always asking me to do things," you could say "I'm feeling overwhelmed right now and need to focus on my responsibilities." Another way to say "no" is to offer an alternative solution or to suggest a compromise. For example, instead of saying "I can't go to the meeting," you could say "I can't go to the meeting, but I can send you my notes or you can share the outcome with me afterward." It's also important to remember that saying "no" is not necessarily a final answer, it's a step in the negotiation process. So be open to finding a solution that works for both parties. In conclusion, this article provided six strategies to reduce stress during your renewal journey: 1) Practice deep breathing, 2) Exercise regularly, 3) Prioritize and plan tasks, 4) Set boundaries, 5) Practice Mindfulness and meditation, 6) Learn to say no. Build one of the strategies into your renewal process. For example, take one strategy per month and work at making it a new habit for you, or take one strategy where you feel you are most vulnerable and build an action plan to incorporate it into your life. As always, take care, be safe, and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Thank you for reading, Richard Richard Fontanie Resources from the FM Storefront Stressology, Stress Care For Today Remedies For Home office Business Stress Stop Stressing Yourself If you are on a path toward self-improvement or on a journey to find yourself, then you have likely come across an unending stream of buzzwords. You may have chased many of them down rabbit trails and became lost in the forest. Buzzwords are not necessarily bad. They are often used in office environments as shorthand for complex concepts. They break down those concepts into a simple word or phrase that is easily understood. Using buzzwords can help you engage with coworkers, customers, and colleagues in line with the norms and expectations of your organization. Here are a few common business buzzwords we use in conversations and writings: “return on investment,” “deep dive,” “impact,” “sustainability,” “logistics,” “ballpark,” and “content is king”. Self-renewal, self-awareness, and introspection, however, are not buzzwords. They are interconnected. They are bridges among each other. When you understand what each of them means individually, it's easy to understand why that is. Introspection is assessing your behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. It's something you apply to the thoughts you are currently having. Introspection can help you bring about necessary changes in how you behave, think, and move through the world. In psychology, it's a formalized approach, but in practice, it's something you can do anywhere if you do it mindfully. A way to use introspection is to consciously reflect on your internal psychological processes. When you reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and memories and examine their meaning you are engaged in introspection. In this way, introspection helps improve your levels of self-awareness which then will help you improve your resilience and lower stress levels. Since its introduction to the psychology world, introspection has evolved to tie into self-realization. This process helps you modify your behaviors. It draws a line around and between all of the connections between emotions and behaviors that may not be serving you. Some ways to improve the way you conduct an introspection could be: 1. Self-Monitoring. This involves simply noticing what is going on within yourself using mindful meditation, where you observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment. You simply let them pass through your mind like floating clouds. If you want to stop along the way and meditate on one of the thoughts you begin to gain insight into yourself. Here you are observing, learning, and gaining insights about the way you act and behave. 2. Asking Yourself Open-Ended Questions. Open-ended questions can help you better understand your attitudes, beliefs, desires, evaluations, intentions, emotions, and sensory experiences. Ask open-ended questions like,
3. Taking stock of your strengths and weaknesses. Much of this exercise is looking at your skill sets, how you learn, and your intellectual self. However, don’t forget your emotions in the process, for instance, if upon reflection you notice you get anxious before giving a presentation you might consider this not to be healthy and let your anxiety be heightened. Your anxiety begins to overtake you and in the process, you falter giving all kinds of messages that things are just not right. This becomes an emotional weakness for you and you need to address it in a healthier way. Self-awareness hypothesizes that people either focus on their internal or external environment at a given moment. If you're staring at yourself in the mirror, you are more likely to be aware of what is directly in front of you. It can fall into two different categories. The first is analyzing your experiences and behaviors to understand the world around you. The second is the same level of analysis but putting it in a third-person perspective by comparing yourself to societal standards. In either category, you are changing your behavior based on a set of standards. You can strengthen self-awareness by engaging in the following five activities: 1. Walking in the quiet of nature. Nature not only has a rejuvenating effect on you, but also nudges you to examine something that is happening in your life whether it be something to do with your work, relationships, or family. 2. Practicing mindfulness. Here you are consciously directing your thoughts inward to become more aware of what is happening with your thoughts and beliefs as they trigger your emotions. Mindfulness includes focusing your attention on whatever it is you are doing and involves the practice of meditation or the quieting of the mind. 3. Listening deeply to others. When we focus on another person it is a way to downgrade our self-destructive thinking. Dr. Tchiki Davis points out, “By being open to someone else, we can learn to listen objectively, even lovingly, to what that person wants or needs to share. This, in turn, helps each of us how to listen to our own inner dialogues and opinions objectively and lovingly as well.” 4. Journaling is an excellent way to become greater self-aware. I have often commented on the advantages of journaling as a method of becoming more self-aware. With journaling you are telling your story in your own words and they can reveal what’s critical for you. You can find more about journaling here. 5. Obtaining feedback from others. Finding an objective listener, one who can give you constructive criticism and help you grow as a person is another way of strengthening your self-awareness. Here you need to be open to what people are saying to you and then make a mental note to examine it later. When you reflect on what the other person has said you may find the criticism to be inaccurate and more about a projection of the other person’s struggles. In that case, don’t respond defensively but try to get to the underlying issue so that you can keep a healthy relationship. Self-renewal is the act of rebirth. It is a change in priorities, an opportunity to renew and regroup. It's something you have to do mindfully as often as possible. You are constantly changing as a person and with every change in who you are, there are changes in what you want, need, and desire. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells the story about not putting new wine in old wineskins because both the wine and wineskins will be ruined. In many ways, this is a renewal story. It is difficult to renew ourselves unless we shed the old skin, so to speak, and put on new skin. And, as we do we go deeper within ourselves (introspection) we begin to find our true selves (become more aware). Self-renewal is the act of keeping up with the changes that take place as we put on new skin. To solidify this here are 5 concrete things you can do to put on new skin. 1. Clarify your gifts. Focus on your natural gifts and break out from the dam you have of holding them back. 2. Sharpen your learning. Pay attention to learning at a deeper level, but don’t forget to spend time learning just for fun. One of my mentors found that taking a camera course was just what he needed to sharpen his awareness on his walks. Another spends time in a sports activity just for fun and companionship. 3. Focus on spending time with just you. Take some time out to rejuvenate in nature and be in the moment with it. While there say a silent prayer of thanksgiving. You don’t have to be religious to do this. Just revel and be thankful for what is in front of you. 4. Take a personal retreat. A retreat allows you to unplug from your daily grind and connect with like-minded people. Make this an annual practice. 5. Become a volunteer or a mentor. Community organizations are always looking for positive and impactful people. Find one that fits your values and beliefs. Mentor youth or someone who can benefit from your experience and wisdom. Search for mentoring groups within your community or place of work. The Connection. Introspection feeds self-awareness, and then the two combined join forces to trigger self-renewal. None of them work individually, and if you try to focus on one without addressing the others, you won't reach the state of joy or fulfillment you are looking for. As you begin the journey, you need to focus on each of these individually, but you have to do so by taking little steps and limiting yourself to just three things. So, if you plan to focus on introspection, self-awareness, and renewal, you should choose one action point under each category I mentioned above. Just be sure to choose an action for each that feeds into the others. For example, if you are struggling with a bad habit like over-eating, smoking, or even getting lost in content, then undergoing a period of introspection will help you uncover everything you can about that bad habit thus bringing about a state of self-awareness. Knowing is half the battle so, once you have the awareness of the issue and an idea of the root causes, you can take the steps to address those issues and renew yourself by adopting a new, healthier means of coping. If you are struggling and want help along your journey, you may want to seek out the advice of a professional, coach, or mentor. For instance, if you are dealing with a substance abuse issue, then several resources can help you such as Alcohol Anonymous, a social worker, a true friend who has your interest at heart, or a psychologist. These resources will be able to support you as you address the underlying symptoms and coping mechanisms to navigate the healing process. As always stay safe, keep healthy, and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Thank you for reading, Richard, Richard Fontanie Sources: Jennifer Herrity, 30 Common Business Buzzwords, and Their Definitions. Kendra Cherry, What is Introspection? Dr. Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. What Is Self-Awareness, and How Do You Get it, Dr. Abogao Bremmer, M.D. 5 Ways to Regroup, Reprioritize, and Renew Yourself” One of the most important, yet lesser discussed, qualities a human can possess is the power of self-renewal. And, one of the most common qualities people talk about when it comes to self-renewal is resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back after being faced with adversity. A must for those who want to grow and develop. Self-renewal might be defined a little differently, but it is part of being able to bounce back. Whether you work in a demanding job or you have been chasing a long-term goal like starting a business, it's easy to lose heart. How do you keep motivated when you're waiting for a breakthrough and it just doesn't seem to happen? Sometimes, praise from others or encouragement can push you on. But that's something you have to rely on others to give you. That’s outside of yourself. So, how do you stay afloat when everything feels so hard? Let’s take a peek behind the door and begin to solve the mystery of self-renewal. Self-renewal. People who accomplish the tough stuff and push to achieve great things all possess the power of self-renewal. And, here you come head to head with grit and the ability to keep going. Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance for a long-term goal. It is the willingness to work hard and sustain effort over time to achieve a certain objective, despite facing obstacles and setbacks. Grit is often considered to be a key factor in achieving success, particularly in challenging or competitive fields. People with grit can overcome obstacles and achieve goals while at the same time maintaining motivation and keeping focus over the long term. People with grit can stay motivated and optimistic, even when faced with adversity. When working on something big, challenging, and long-term, it's an important skill. Grit is the skill that strengthens your momentum to continue moving forward. Self-renewal Has A Deeper Meaning. But self-renewal has a deeper meaning than just grit and resilience. When working toward something bigger than yourself, you can rely on self-renewal to remind you of your goal, vision, and values. It will always be there to remind you how much you care. It's an offshoot of your inspiration. And where does your inspiration come from? Inspiration is related to the spirit within you. It’s being in tune with your true self… with your soul so to speak. Its role with self-renewal can give you the motivation and drive to make positive changes, seek new opportunities, and discover your passion and purpose. In this way, both self-renewal and inspiration mutually reinforce each other and lead to personal growth and development. Your grit and resilience keep pushing you on, but inspiration keeps you honest with yourself in the process. So these three attributes, grit, resilience, and inspiration keep you going forward as you journey towards self-renewal. Now, taken on its own, self-renewal is all about re-aligning yourself with your purpose and goals. As you re-align yourself with your purpose and goals four things you can do, if they relate to you, is remove negativity, practice gratitude, remove emotional and mental clutter, and let go of the past. 1. Remove Negativity. Holding onto negativity refers to the tendency to dwell on negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences, rather than letting them go and moving on. When people hold onto negativity, they may ruminate on negative events, replaying them in their minds and dwelling on the negative emotions they associate with them. This can lead to a negative cycle of thoughts and emotions that can be difficult to break out of. Holding onto negativity can have several adverse consequences for one's mental and physical well-being. It can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, anger, and stress. It can also impact one's relationships, work, and general quality of life. Thereby hurting social interactions, productivity, creativity, and physical health. You can let go of negativity using such approaches as mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and talk therapy. These can help you reframe your thoughts, challenge negative thought patterns and develop a more positive outlook on life. 2. Practice Gratitude. You can practice gratitude to help push those negative thoughts and feelings away. Practicing gratitude involves focusing on the positive aspects of one's life and expressing appreciation for the good things that one has, rather than dwelling on negative thoughts and experiences. It can be a powerful tool for taking away negative thoughts and emotions. When you practice gratitude, you shift your focus away from what you lack or what's going wrong in your life, and instead, you focus on the things that are going well. This can help to change your perspective and put things in a more positive light. It can help you to appreciate the good things in your life that you may have been taking for granted. Gratitude can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, by increasing feelings of positivity, happiness, and well-being. It has been shown to improve sleep quality, increase energy and improve overall physical and psychological health. Research has demonstrated that individuals who practice gratitude regularly are more optimistic, have higher self-esteem, and have stronger immune systems. There are several ways to practice gratitude, including:
Gratitude practice then is a simple yet effective tool to improve overall well-being, by increasing positive thoughts and emotions and reducing negative ones. 3. Remove Emotional and Mental Clutter. Removing emotional and mental clutter refers to the process of letting go of negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences that may be cluttering your mind and preventing you from living in a more peaceful and fulfilling way. Here are a few strategies that can help you remove emotional and mental clutter:
4. Let Go Of The Past And Make Room For Newness. Perhaps the hardest step in the self-renewal process is the forgiveness step. It isn't necessarily about forgiving others, it's more about forgiving yourself. Have you forgiven yourself for the errors you have blamed yourself for? We are often harsher on ourselves than we are on others. So, don't skip the self-forgiveness stage. And though you might have others to forgive, it's important to know that it's less about letting people off the hook for harming you and more about processing the harm and hurt you have held onto as a result. Also, consider how much of your effort and attention is on chasing rabbit trails instead of focusing on your actual goals. Misplaced priorities are major enemies of self-renewal. Set your direction for progress and prepare yourself for some uncertain terrain. Even if things feel difficult, try to reframe your attitude and think positively. It's time to make the decisions you have been avoiding and you need to be in the right mindset to do that. Set your renewal goals and start small – try to focus on one thing at a time. Start banishing excuses from your vocabulary and start accepting that where you are, wherever that might be, is your starting point. Whatever happens, you can always start fresh. Call to Action: Everything in this post has a deep spiritual connotation as it goes to the core of who you are, your deeper and truer self, and why you exist. It relates to all the dimensions of your life and how you develop and maintain your whole self. To that end, I recommend that you join FORTIS which provides resources for you to keep going through good and difficult times. Thank you for reading, and remember to continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard Richard Fontanie Other helpful resources from the FM Storefront: The Beginners Guide To Self-Discipline Stressology: Stress Care For Today When we are in the process of renewal it means that we need to make some changes and that could be scary business. Let’s unravel this aspect of renewal. One of the realities of life is change, yet many of us are afraid of it. Some can face it and overcome it while others buckle under it. But in the end, we all experience our level of fear when it comes to change. It's literally why the “comfort zone” got its name. So, you're not the only person who feels terrified of change, it's the way the human brain is wired. Your brain is responding to a level of uncertainty brought about by the change process – It’s telling you to avoid change and discomfort because it's much easier to deal with that than it is to address the unwanted emotions that come with pushing through change. Change feels scary and that is a natural feeling. Something much bigger underneath the surface may be holding you back. For some, fear can be paralyzing, to the point that it makes any change a disaster. The official label for a genuine fear of change is Metathesiophobia. It is the persistent intense (and persistent) fear of change. People with Metathesiophobia may experience feelings of anxiety, panic, stress, or dread when faced with change, and may go to great lengths to avoid situations or environments that they believe may bring about change. Some people stay in terrible relationships because they are terrified of being alone. Of course, that is not the only reason people remain in negative relationships. It could relate to fear of what might happen if they leave or lack of confidence to leave. Whatever the reason, fear is the basis for why people often don’t leave a toxic relationship. To anyone looking in from the outside, it's obvious that the person in the terrible relationship should end it and move on. But it's not black and white – there are children involved, there are financial overlaps, and it can be scary to unwrap all of that. Some stay put in a miserable job that has never brought them a day of joy because they are afraid of moving to a new position or too scared to start a new career. Fear holds people back from starting a business or moving into the non-profit sector. Often they are ready to make a leap to a new career or business venture but fear holds them back from making the move. Again, to anyone looking in from the outside, it's obvious that the person in the miserable job should get out of that situation. But, there's accrued vacation time to think about, the benefits of long service, and everything that leaving would change. And, that too is scary. For all the talk about the grass being greener on the other side, a lot of people are way too scared to find out if it is true. So, why are we so afraid of change? Your brain finds peace in what is known rather than what is unknown. If you don't know what to expect, your brain will start to fill in the blanks and it always cooks up worst-case scenarios. Fear of failure is often a big part of that. It's easier to sit out than join in when you don't know how it will turn out. For someone who grew up in a home with a negative worldview, holding onto that cynicism throughout adulthood could easily engender anxiety and fear about trying new things. It's common for people to hold onto pieces of their upbringing, and a lot of times, they're unaware of the root. They just stick to what they know because that is what they've always known. Simply put they are stuck in the past. They have not learned to unlearn their past so that they can fully live in the present and go forward without the anxiety and fear that holds them back. Just because you have been afraid of change in the past, doesn't mean you have to keep being afraid of change. It requires work to get to that point, it takes courage to move forward. But, you can overcome your fear of change by putting yourself out there in small ways to start. The stages of change start with anticipation and you begin to embrace the excitement of it all. You now become aware of your fear but have yet to commit to the change. Next comes the decision to take action. You begin to prepare to make a change but you are not ready to move on it. Finally, you decide to take action and you actively take steps to work through your fears and anxiety. You reach the breakthrough stage where you accept the change and reward yourself for following through. Finally comes consolidation where you are working to maintain the change over the long term. However, in working through the change it may not be so linear but more of a circuitous route. For instance, just when the change you have worked so hard to make seems to be your norm, regression begins to set in. Everything seems to get worse again and you are slipping back to your fears. It’s at this point that you need to realize that things will get better and that you have already made huge steps to reach your breakthrough. Now you need to take heart and work through your relapse. One other aspect of change relates to your spiritual mindset. Often people are not at peace with themselves and have difficulty meeting change because they are afraid to look within. The process of personal change is always about looking inward and becoming comfortable with who we are and why we exist. When you journey through the change process don’t forget to reflect on the spiritual aspect of your life and how it relates to how you feel about change. In conclusion, get started by breaking it all into little, easy-to-digest pieces. Set goals so that every change you embrace moves you closer to achieving those goals. If your brain cooks up the worst-case scenario, have a plan in place to counteract it. And, if you need help to work through the change process don’t be afraid to ask for help. Get over that fear too. As always continue to become the best version of yourself and thank you for reading. Richard Richard Fontanie We live in a world where things seem to be moving at an increasing rate. Where it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day flurry of activity and lose sight of the bigger picture. That's why it's important to stop what you are doing and take time out for self-reflection. But self-reflection is more than just thinking about your day; it's a deliberate process of introspection that can help you learn and grow. Are you wondering where to start? Here are seven key questions you can ask yourself to get the most out of your self-reflection: 1. What were my predominant thoughts for today? A large portion of our daily lives is spent on autopilot, going through the motions without really thinking about them. They become automatic habits. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Habits can help us to be more efficient and productive. However, it's important to take a step back occasionally and reflect on our thoughts and actions. Your predominant thoughts are the ideas, beliefs, and mental images that you focus on most frequently and that have significant influence on your behavior and attitude. These thoughts can be positive or negative. If your thoughts are predominantly negative, it may mean a sign to make some changes in your life. Conversely if your thoughts are primarily positive, it is a strong indication that you are on the right track. Your thoughts can relate to any aspect of your life, for example your work, relationships, health, or personal goals. Your predominant thoughts can shape your world view and outlook on life as well as having a profound impact on how you feel and behave. It’s important to be aware and to question your predominant thoughts and to cultivate positive and supportive ones as they can have a huge impact on the way you conduct yourself. Taking time to question your thoughts is an important part of self-renewal. 2. What emotions did I feel today and why? It's important to be aware of your emotions and what triggers them. This helps you get a grasp on issues in your life that need to be addressed. Also, by understanding your emotions, you can learn to control them better. For example, if find yourself snapping at people for no particular reason or avoiding social situations, it may be sign that you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Or, if you notice that you get sad when you think about your future, you can try to focus on the present moment. There are several things you can do to help you evaluate your daily emotions.
3. What were my high-points and low-points during the day? At the end of each day, it can be helpful to reflect on what went well and what could have gone better. Asking yourself "What were my highlights and lowlights from today?" is a simple way to start this process. Taking a few moments to think about the positive and negative aspects of your day can help you to appreciate your accomplishments and learn from your mistakes. It can also provide invaluable insights into your own behavior and attitudes. For instance,
Over time, this simple reflection exercise can help you to become more self-aware and intentional in your actions. In short, taking a few minutes at the end of each day to ask yourself "What were my highlights and lowlights from today?" is an effective way to boost your self-renewal. Remember, it is normal to have ups and downs so it is important to be kind to yourself and to practice self-care when you are in a funk. 4. How did I react to different situations today? Why? How we react to different situations reveals a lot about ourselves. It can be easy to act impulsively when we're angry or upset, but the true test of our character is how we react when we're faced with difficult challenges. Asking ourselves how we reacted to different situations can help us to identify areas where we need to improve. Here are a three suggestions to review:
It can also help us to see the times when we've handled difficult situations with grace and strength. When we take the time to reflect on our reactions, we can learn from our mistakes and become better people. It is also important to take care of yourself and not rush through things in order to get to the finish line. 5. What could I have done differently today? Everyone makes mistakes, but the key is to learn from them so that you don't make the same mistake twice. Asking yourself this question each evening will help you reflect on your day and identify any areas where you could improve or make necessary changes. It is important to remember that people react to different situations in several different ways and there is no one way to answer this question. People reactions are influenced by a variety of factors such as their personality, past experiences, cultural background, and current emotional state. You may react to a situation with strong emotions, while others may remain calm and steady. For instance you may react to a situation with compassion and kindness while someone else may react to the same situation with anger or aggression. It is important to keep in mind that everyone is different but it is equally important to reflect on your own actions so that you can learn and grow as a person. 6. Am I living my best life? This question allows you to ponder your level of fulfillment and personal life satisfaction. This is an important consideration when considering the need for self-renewal and in which specific areas that should be applied. Here are a four suggestions to start your reflection:
7. Are my needs being met? This is a great question to ask yourself. The regular evaluation of needs is critical to living a good life and supporting your wellbeing. It is also important to remember that as life goes on our needs can change many times, and this is the perfect reason to engage in self-renewal activities because as your needs change you should change with them in order to meet a new standard. Here are five things to consider:
Remember taking care of yourself is not a selfish act. It is an important aspect towards being there for others when they need you. The point is unless you take care of yourself you cannot take care of others. I hope these reflective suggestions help you in your quest to renew yourself. Keep on becoming the best you can be and check out the resources in the StoreFront. Richard Richard Fontanie The New Year is an opportunity for self-renewal. The old year has gone and it's a chance to welcome fresh opportunities. Think of it as a wake-up call. Your body, your mind, your career, and your relationships will break down if you don't pay them due care and attention. At the start of every year, you should take the opportunity to review 8 key interlocking dimensions of life and then choose at least four dimensions for renewal – that is your spiritual self, your physical self, your emotional self, your mental self, your intellectual self, your vocational self, your social self, and your financial self. Self-renewal means a way of reinventing yourself – it's a rebirth and it's something you need to be intentional about. Now is the right time to start the reflection period to look back on what you have learned in 2022, what you have accomplished, and how you would like to move forward. Follow our posts during 2023 make renewal an essential goal for 2023. Here are the eight key dimensions for you to consider for 2023. Your Spiritual Self Your spiritual health is at the very core of who you are. It is also a big part of why you do the things that you do. And if you don't renew your spiritual health you are going to battle with a dull blade. It can leave you at risk of stress bordering on burnout, and you might feel listless, apathetic, and cynical. The reason I touch on spiritual health first is that it's often the one that is overlooked. Overlooking it, however, will eventually trip you up. Your spiritual health provides you with a broader sense of purpose and builds on the foundation of your values. But you can't do that without self-renewal because renewal will motivate you to re-evaluate your purpose and your values. If you don't change within yourself, you will have extreme difficulty in moving forward. Your Physical Self Looking after your physical self is important because it can influence the other areas of your life. If your body is exhausted, your mental and emotional self will be not far behind. And when they are suffering, your other dimensions of life will also suffer. You can't be productive and pursue your goals if you aren't looking after your physical needs. While your other needs constantly evolve, your physical self needs good sleep, regular exercise, and proper nutrition as a minimum. Remember as your activity levels change, so do your nutritional needs. So, cater to your body properly. What areas do you need to renew relating to your physical self? Your Emotional Self Your emotional self requires meaningful connections. This was a particularly challenging component during lockdown when people were socially distanced and unable to connect in person. However, it showed how the human spirit can overcome isolation because people used technology in wonderful ways to maintain connections with their loved ones…from online board games to sit-down meals over video chat. You need meaningful connections to keep you grounded. More importantly you need to pursue relationships that edify you. And if there are connections that drag you down or upset you, you should consider how you can improve them or at least re-evaluate their meaning for you. Renewal is a constant evolution and not everyone will remain in your life permanently. Growing away from people is common but don't cut someone out who is going through a difficult time. Address those chronic problematic relationships first. Your Mental Self In the main, mental health encompasses your social, psychological, and emotional wellness. It influences how you feel, think, and act throughout your life while determining how you relate to others, cope with setbacks, and make decisions that can change your approach to life. In short it relates to your mindset as you journey through life. People need to look out for their psychological wellness. Under your mental wellness review the positive indicators that show you that your mental wellbeing is balanced. Sometimes people are so desperate to escape the mental tetter totter they have ridden all day that they have developed several ways to switch them off. Two ways people do that is to turn the television on or scroll their phones. That isn't switching off your mental clutter. While these activities may be relaxing, depending on what you look at, they aren't renewing your mental space. The best way to renew your mental capacity is through an activity that allows you to relax, rejuvenate, and restore. That means doing something different than you normally do for instance you could take up a hobby, go for daily or weekly walks, or look at ways you could spend time in meditation. Intellectual Self Your intellectual self connects the dots as to how your brain functions and its cognitive role in governing how you live, learn and carry out your responsibilities. It allows for learning, flexibility, opportunity, creativity, imagination, playfulness and openness. Are their areas where you need to change habits, learn new skills or become more open and flexible? Reading books, taking up an on-line course or artwork, or letting your inner child play are examples of renewal approaches. Vocational Self Vocational wellbeing is about engaging in work, career, or occupation for which you are qualified, has meaning and purpose for you, you enjoy doing and you continually strive to do it better. Do you need to search within yourself and discern the kind of work or career that best fits with your personality and that has meaning for you? Do you view your occupation or business as a service to others, no matter what it entails or what role you hold? Do you continue to find purpose in what you do and if not, what will you do about that? Social Self Social Wellbeing relates to your ability to connect with others, the support you receive from them, and a sense of belonging with them. Social wellbeing often brings the need for nurturing an environment for building relationships, both in your family and elsewhere. It impacts the way you interact with others through social media. It relates to how you develop positive working relationships and how you promote community civility. Are your relations with others positive? Do feel a sense of belonging within your family, social network, work or community? What impact are you having on others – is it positive or might it need improvement? Financial Self Simply put financial wellbeing is about managing personal money and material resources by meeting day-to-day financial and material needs, building a strong foundational base, establishing long term financial goals, and working towards achieving them. It also means a being a good steward over all of your resources. Do you need to review your financial wellness, debt accumulation, savings for a rainy day? Are you a good steward over all your resources? As you begin renewing yourself in each of these areas, you start to trigger growth which leads to a major change in your life. Your ability to manage yourself while striving to do better allows you to rise above the fray of daily living. And, when you renew yourself in in at least four of the above eight dimensions you will live a more fulfilling life. If you are seeking more support as you travel through the eight dimensions consider joining our FORTIS Membership found here. As always stay safe, keep healthy and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard Richard Fontanie We are excited to announce our new theme for the Fontanie Magazine during 2023 …Renewal Renewal is such an important part of life that we will be dedicating our articles, YouTube presentations and social media contributions to this theme. The first half of 2023 will focus on self-renewal and the second half will focus on career change and business renewal. We are starting with self-renewal because how we deal with our own renewal paves the way to how we face renewal in business, work and our careers. As we go through life, we experience many highs and lows along the way. When we are going through the highs, we feel like we are on top of the world and no one can bring us down. But then we sometimes get buried in the lows and it feels like those highs are very far off. When we are feeling that way we need to realize that it is possible to pick ourselves up and journey back to feeling good about ourselves and others. As we do this we become more hopeful, resilient, and satisfied than we were before. Just by simply making the effort to continue to renew ourselves throughout our lives we stop getting stuck in the trap that the lows try to keep us in. The meaning of Renewal These days ‘renewal’ is often referred to as ‘energy renewal’ and ‘sustaining our beautiful natural environment, and although these are extremely important, we will refer to them only as a backdrop in our materials. We will focus more on renewing ourselves as we go through life, meeting the challenges of business and in our workplaces. Renewal is a process of rebirthing, regrouping, repositioning, and reinventing. In reality we are all renewing ourselves every day. Each day is unlike yesterday and each year is unlike the previous one. Everything is aging in one way or other but as they age they are also being reborn. As we evolve we are brought into the process of dying and renewing, transforming, and changing. It is all about what is called the circle of life. We see this in nature as winter recedes and spring brings new hope, we experience it in business as it struggles and reinvents itself with renewed vision, and we experience it in our careers as we move from one opportunity to another. Self-renewal is also a spiritual act – it's the act of rebirthing, it is a rising from the ashes moment, a conversion, and a transformation to new life. The beauty of self-renewal is that it allows you to constantly reinvent yourself when you find that you need to. For example, when we join one another in marriage each leaves a lot of things behind. Our single life is over and we go through a period of self-renewal as each partner reinvents themselves in a way. They learn to compromise in ways they never did before and that takes sensitivity and tact. We go through a renewal process whenever we change careers, jobs, move out of addictions, bad habits or change any aspect of our lives . As life evolves, so do the demands on us and the only way to meet those demands is through self-renewal. While there are many benefits to self-renewal, the key benefit is that it helps us attain fulfillment, and that satisfaction continues even when our needs and wants are evolving or becoming clearer to us. When we go through self-renewal, we change our focus, set new goals, and start fresh. A major event can motivate us to change or we may just simply want a change. Self-renewal is often fueled when we see changes taking place around us. Those changes motivate us to change as well. Whatever the motive, self-renewal is a way to hit the reset button for us and start anew. Self-renewal allows us to reassess our priorities and focus on what is truly important to us. Life has a tendency to get away from us, and before we know it years have gone by and we are stuck in the same old routine. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to feelings of stagnation and dissatisfaction. If we do not take the time for self-renewal, we may never take that leap out of our comfort zone and into something new. There is no one right way to go about self-renewal, as everyone will have different needs and goals. However, we can take some general steps to start the process.
Renewal is a necessary part of life if we want to avoid feeling stagnant and empty. It gives us the opportunity to examine ourselves and make necessary changes whether they be in business, work, or in our lives. While there is no right way to go about renewal, taking time out for reflection and setting specific, achievable goals are an essential first step. We are always evolving and hopefully in the process we are becoming the best version of ourselves. I look forward to journeying with you during the year of “Renewal”. In the meantime I wish you, peace, joy and success throughout 2023. As always stay safe, keep healthy and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard, Richard Fontanie We are approaching the holiday season filled with festivities and homecomings. Unfortunately it is also a time when people experience heart failure, and that is not a good thing. Do you know that your heart sits in the center of your chest, and points slightly to the left, and is about the size of a large fist; a man’s heart weighs about 10 to 12 ounces while a woman’s heart weighs about 8 to 10 ounces; your heart pumps approximately 6 quarts of blood throughout the body, and in a single lifetime the heart will beat approximately 3 billion times, this equates to about 100,000 times per day; and leaving an adult heart beating 60-80 time each minute. Your heart is a fantastic pump, but it does wear out. Heart disease, the buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries, is the 2nd leading cause of death in Canada and the 1st in the United States. Here is some data to think about, according to 2017-2018 data from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS)(1)
The good news is that the death rate per 1,000 individuals with a known heart disease has decreased by 21% in 2000-2001 to 2017-2018. But the Christmas Season is particularly important… According to a study conducted between 1998-2013 the risk of a heart attack was 15% higher on Christmas Day and 37% higher on Christmas Eve when researchers analyzed data two weeks before and after Christmas. According to one study, “The number of cardiac deaths is higher on Dec. 25 than on any other day of the year, second highest on Dec. 26, and third highest on Jan.1st. (2) The message here is to take it easy during the holiday season. This is a time for joy, peace and goodwill, not a time for overdoing it with too much drinking and eating. However, since the holiday season is when most heart attacks occur, watch for these common warning signs of a heart attack:
Don’t wait for the holiday season, or a heart attack, to make changes to your lifestyle. Start now. You can reduce your risk of heart disease by following these five simple preventive measures today:
You can do more to help your heart stay healthy by including the following trusted suggestions into your daily lives. 1.Shrink your belly—research into the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has connected excess belly fat to an unhealthy blood lipid level and higher blood pressure. If you are carrying extra fat around your belly, it is time to trim down. Exercising and eating fewer calories can make a huge difference. If this describes you, don’t add to your problem during holiday seasons. (8) 2.Let music move you—whether you prefer a two-step tune or a rumba beat, social dancing makes your heart better. Like other forms of exercise, it increases your heart rate and gets your legs going. It also burns up to 200 calories per hour, according to the Mayo Clinic. Now dancing is a healthy exercise, but if you don’t do it regularly then don’t kick up a storm on New Year's Eve, particularly if you are combining it with heavy drinking. (9) 3.Eat fish—eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can also reduce heart disease. Many types of fish, such as herring, sardines, tuna, salmon, and halibut are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Try to eat fish at least twice a week, suggests the American Heart Association. If you’re worried about mercury in fish, you may be excited to learn that the heart benefits of fish tend to outweigh its risks. 4.Laugh aloud—don’t just laugh aloud in Facebook posts or in emails. Laugh aloud in your daily life. Whether you like cracking jokes with your friends, watching funny movies, or cracking jokes with your loved ones, laughter can decrease the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, decreasing inflammation in your coronary arteries and can increase your levels of HDL (high-density lipoproteins, also known as “good cholesterol.” (I have dedicated a whole section to laughter in the training program ‘Stressology’ (6)) 5.Stretch your muscles— try yoga. Yoga can help you improve your flexibility, strength, and balance. It can help you relieve stress and relax. Moreover, yoga has the ability to improve your heart health. According to scientific research published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, yoga has the potential to reduce your risk of heart disease. And the NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) points out that since yoga helps reduce stress it might also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. (3) 6.Skip the salt—If the entire North American population reduced its mean salt intake to just a half teaspoon per day, it would significantly decrease the number of people who develop heart artery disease each year. Scientists have confirmed this at the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers suggest that salt is one of the leading causes of increased health care costs in the US. Processed foods tend to be particularly high in salt. Therefore, you need to think twice before eating a lot of fast food. Consider using some kind of salt substitute, such as potassium hydroxide. Also consider the DASH-style diet to lower blood pressure. (4) (5) 7.Exercise regularly—although mentioned above as one of the five simple preventive measures exercise is mentioned again here because of an increasing number of people who are slaves to their desk. Now it doesn’t matter how much you weigh, sitting for long periods of time could decrease your lifespan. People who live desk jockey lifestyles or are couch potatoes suffer from unhealthy effects on blood sugar and blood fats. If you work at a desk, take regular breaks and move around a bit. Take a walk on your lunch breaks and eat your lunch at a resting place during your walk. 8.Keep track of your numbers—keeping track of your blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar can help you maintain a healthy heart. Learn the optimal levels for your age group and sex. Take steps to maintain those levels, your doctor can tell you how. Remember to schedule regular checkups with your physician to stay on top of the numbers and get regular checkups. 9.Eat nuts—if you eat walnuts, almonds and other tree nuts, you will get a lot of fiber, protein, and fats. Including them in your diet can help decrease your risk of heart disease. Remember that the serving size is small, suggests the American Heart Association. While nuts are full of heart-healthy stuff, they also have a lot of calories in them. 10.Reduce unhealthy fat intake —slicing your saturated fat to less than 7% of your daily calories can decrease your risk of heart disease, according to the USDA. If you don’t read nutrition labels, consider starting today. Take stock of what you are eating and stay away from foods that are high in fat, particularly saturated fat. In conclusion. Be heart conscious this Christmas but remember the suggestions and recommendations scattered throughout this article are not just for the holiday season. They are identified for you to take your heart health seriously and to apply them throughout the year. Looking after your heart is not a onetime event, but an on-going lifestyle choice. So enjoy your holiday season but be heart-wise. (6) (7) As always folks, stay safe, keep healthy and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard Richard Fontanie Sources (1) https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/heart-disease-canada.html (2) https://www.webmd.com/heart/features/the-truth-behind-more-holiday-heart-attacks) . (3) https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/yoga-for-health-science (4) https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20221128/cutting-table-salt-tied-to-lower-heart-disease-ris (5) https://www.nejm.org/search?q=salt+and+increased+health+care+costs (6) Stressology: https://www.fontaniemagazine.com/stressology-stress-care-for-today/stressology-stress-care-for-today (7) Also join FORTIS. Included in your membership are 20 videos on heart health: https://www.fontaniemagazine.com/stressology-stress-care-for-today/stressology-stress-care-for-today (8) https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/09/26/15/13/study-shows-more-reasons-why-belly-fat-is-dangerous-for-the heart#:~:text=Increasing%20stomach%20fat%20%E2%80%93%20especially%20the%20%E2%80%9Chidden%20fat%E2%80%9D,the%20Journal%20of%20the%20American%20College%20of%20Cardiology. (9) https://www.eodance.ca/articles/art_benefits_of_dancing.php#:~:text=Calories%20-%20Dancing%20can%20burn%20as%20many%20calories,calories%20you%27ll%20expend%20is%20the%20distance%20you%20travel. Do you feel great just the way you are? Let’s acknowledge that we’re fantastic just the way we are! Everything you’ve done and everything you are makes you you, which is a pretty terrific individual! Now let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that there are things we’d like to change. Nope, we are not perfect. Like I said in a previous article you are not your imperfections and nor are you perfect. However, no doubt there are some things you would like to change, not to become perfect but to become a better you. Maybe it’s how you deal with your personal, business, or work challenges, or perhaps what you do when confronted with a disrespectful colleague. These little habits or tendencies may frustrate you, but they could also stand in the way of how you relate to others. So, why let them? Here are five small steps that will help you become a better you. 1. Know Yourself We take for granted that we know who we are and what we want. But unfortunately, no one teaches us how to determine our likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams. And we can take many twists and turns in life before we actually know who we are. One of the most important steps of self-improvement is understanding yourself. So, get curious about what makes you who you are and what makes you tick. Most of the things we know about ourselves lie on the surface of our conscious self. But there are many other layers of which we are not familiar. They lie underneath the surface and bubble up when we least expect them. It’s those surprising things that reflect our real character. Once you become familiar with all the layers that make you you, you can start making the changes you need to improve. Look at yourself objectively and ask yourself these questions:
2. Sleep well Are you a night owl, or one that likes to party all the time? If so then this is something you need to work on because you may be neglecting your obligations. It’s certainly okay to go out with friends and enjoy a night out once and awhile. Socialization is important. But, it’s a whole different ball game when you watch mind-numbing hours of TV or scroll through social media into the wee hours of the morning. That’s playing havoc on your cognitive abilities, as well as your physical health. Plus, it’s wasting countless hours when you could be focusing on more important priorities. Did you know that the average adult needs between 7–9 hours of sleep each night? Getting that quality sleep will help you wake up fresh, energized, and ready to embark on a new day. Good sleep boosts your immune system, reduces stress, and helps you maintain your weight. In addition, it can lower the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and Type-2 diabetes. 3. Exercise Regularly. Be aware that your physical well-being has a direct impact on your mental and emotional state. Therefore, being healthy is important to living a high-quality lifestyle and not fearing what needs to be changed or improved. It is important to remember that through regular exercise and eating healthy foods, you fuel your body and mind. So, you stop aching all over and start feeling energized. You can go up a flight of stairs without feeling like your heart is about to pop out of your chest. Walking becomes your new way of transportation, and your clothes fit better than ever on you. Combined, these things influence how you feel about yourself. When you look good, your self-esteem gets a nice boost. You become more confident want to try new things or meet new people. Now you might say, “I am not fully capable of exercise as I have a lot of physical aches and pains.” Certainly I am referring here to those who are capable of exercising. For those who are having difficulty with exercise there is sufficient data to support that appropriate exercise helps ease pain and stiffness as it increases flexibility and strength, reduces joint pain, and aides in combating fatigue. 4. Keep Learning Make a habit of learning something new each day for the rest of your life. Life-long learning has many benefits such as it helps you with:
Life-long learning keeps you being curious and motivates you to continue moving forward. By the way curiosity isn’t just for young, eager children. Everyone can continue learning at any age and stage in life. After all, if we’re not learning and growing, then we’re dying, to paraphrase Albert Einstein. Here are some ways to keep learning at any age:
5. Celebrate Your Successes No one knows about celebrating successes perhaps better than Nelson Mandela. He said, “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.” Make a habit of recognizing your hard work and accomplishments and the sacrifices you made to get there. Be proud of your progress and how you feel about everything you’ve learned along the way. Celebrating successes need not be elaborate. Patting yourself on your back saying ‘you did a great job,’ taking a treat after accomplishing a task, thanking yourself and others for work accomplished, and taking care of yourself while being compassionate with others – are all affordable ways to celebrate your successes. When you look back and know what you’re capable of achieving, you get a fresh insight into what needs to be tweaked for the next challenge. Then, you can make changes where needed to keep moving forward and improving day by day! In Conclusion.... these are doable steps toward personal growth and development. The challenge is to take the first step, and it really doesn’t matter which one you start with as eventually they will all lead to you becoming the best you can be. Thank you for reading and as always, take care, stay healthy and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard Some Resources for you:
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